Overcoming Male Pattern Tightness…
Many men struggle through daily life, whether they are active or not, with what I call “male pattern tightness.” For most guys, the common problem areas are the hips, hamstrings, and chest. The result is a body that is literally pulling itself out of alignment creating poor posture, reduced mobility, constricted circulation, and joints that are insufficiently articulated to maintain optimal health and comfort.
That being said, I have watched well-meaning men struggle to not impact in yoga classes they are ill-suited to without success. This is for 2 reasons:
When people have restricted mobility, starting a typical yoga class that requires a baseline flexibility to even get into the position is typically going to be fruitless. Being contorted into poor alignment attempting a position you cannot achieve will not produce results.
In my experience working with people with reduced mobility, I have found that static stretching (the practice of holding a stretch position for a prolonged duration of time) to be less efficacious than dynamic stretching (gentle moving stretches, often done by gently moving in and out of the stretch position.)
Dynamic stretching is beneficial for a few reasons. Firstly, the movement lubricates the joints and unlocks the tight fascia surrounding the muscles. This increases blood flow and synovial fluid, which reduces friction. Second, dynamic stretching overrides the stretch reflex. The stretch reflex is an automatic muscle contraction that can happen when you stretch a cold muscle too fast. However, when someone is very tight in a certain position it can also happen when the tissues are so tight that stretching them becomes painful. This pain response makes the whole body tighten up and you end up fighting the stretch instead of relaxing into it and releasing the tissues. Gently moving in and out of a painful position, while breathing, can soothe the body and soften the tension, which helps make progress.
Over the years I have periodically had all men’s stretching classes to target the specific demographic. Typically speaking, after a few months of just one class a week, most of these men figure out how to integrate this release work into their daily lives to great benefit. My clients have included people like dentists, motorcycle riders, piano repair experts, tattoo artists, and engineers. All of them suffered from chronic pain and difficulty sleeping through the night. All of them experienced relief and some of them even stood taller! Some have to adjust the height of the shower head or the seat of their car. One 40 year old guy had a stretching consultation: a 1 hour appointment resulting in a 10 minute curated stretch routine of about 6 to-do items for him. Within days of the consultation he reported that he had far less back pain. A week later he added, “also my sleep is better since I started stretching.” VICTORY!
The takeaway? You don't need to become a yogi. Spend just five minutes before your workout doing soft, dynamic movements and take 10 minutes post-workout to mobilize those tight hips and hamstrings and open up your chest. Your back will thank you.
Method PT is a great place to come for issues of pain and reduced mobility. Often one or two appointments is sufficient to produce an at home program patients to follow! Contact us to discuss setting up an appointment.
